Universal direction control for vehicle-headlights.



v R. -LYTTLE. UNIVERSAL DIRECTION CONTROL FOR VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATlOH FILED- APR. 24. W16.

Patentefi June 19, 1917.

ionic saint RCYVLAND LYTTLE, OF LDS ALTGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNCE ORE-HALF EDW'ARD JESURUN, 0Z6 PALO ALTO, GALIFOBJIA.

UNIVERSAL DIREGTION CUNTBOL FOR VEHEGLE-HEALLULIGHTS.

Letters Patented June 19, 191?.

Application filed April 534;, 1915. Serial No. 93,141.

T 0 all whom m (17 comm n:

Be it known that l, BOWL-AND LY'rTLn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Les Angele's, county of Los Angeles,

and State of California, have invented new and useful Universal Direction Control for Vehicle-Heradlights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling the direction of headlights for automobiles or other vehicles, and the main objectof the invention is to provide means whereby both vertical and horizontal inovements of the heaillights may be controlled by a single operating means so that the chauffeur or operator can swing the headlights vertically or horizontally by operation of one hand. i

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of my invention, and referring thereto, Figure 1 is partly broken side elevation of an automobile hood provided with my device. I

Fig. 2- is a partly broken front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 isa vertical section of the controlling device.

ets 4 so that the headlights will swingvertically in unison. to each headlight so as to cause said headlights to swing horizontally in unison.

Connected to the bar 7 or to any other part in connection with either of the headlights is an operating member 10 connected to a controlling dev1ce 11 in sueh manner that said operating member may. bemoved across the frame 2 and connecting the brack-' A bar 7 is pivoted at 8.

horizontally or vertically by diilerent move ments of said controlling; device 11. Said controlling device 11 may consist of a lever pivoted at 12 on arm 13 extending from a tubular member 14- formed as a rigid pipe which is mounted in bearing 15 on dashboard 16 of the vehicle.

the vehicle and through a bearing 18 at the front oi said hood and then down as indicated at 19 to form an arm which swings from side to side as the tubular member 1% .is rocked by means of the lever 11. the pivotal connection 12 of said lever to bracket 13.being such to permit the lever l to swing forward on said bracket in a direction perpendicular to the dash-board 1S and parallel to the axis of the tubular member l but to cause the tubular member I i to rock when the lever 11 swung in a plane parallel to said dash-board and transverse to the axis of tubular member 14. The operating member may consist a slide n'ieinher 16 which slides vertically in the tubular arm 19. A flexible connection 24 extends from said slide member 10 to a slide member 25 mounted in the tubular member 14: adjacent to the lever 11 and pivoted to said lever as indicated at 26. Said flexible member-2 L may consist of a Wire, for example, piano \vire inclosed by and slidably mounted in a flexible tubular casing formed, for example, of coiled Wire in the manner of the so called Boivdcn Wire. It Will be noted that the mounting of the operating lever 11 is such as to provide for universal movement thereof, and the connections between the said lever and the headlights are suehas to permit of the swinging movement of the headlights in either direction without interfering with their movement in the other direction.

The operation is as follows :To swing the headlights l'in a vertical direction the operator tilts or moves the lever 11 for \vardly or baclnvardly by handle means 11. thereon. in a plane parallel to the axis of tubular member 14;, and thereby causes the slide 26 to move in the tubular member 14: so as to operate through the Boivden wire or flexible member 24 to raise or lower the bar 8. If movement in a horizontal direc-' tion is desired, the lever 11 is swung in a vertical. plane transverse to tubular member 14- or vertically rotated parallel to the dashboard, thereby causing the arm 19 to operate through the link or operating member 10 to move the bar 8 laterally and swing the headlights in one direction or the other.

Any kind of lever means may be used in place of the one shown in Fig. 1. For

Said tubular menr,

l'an 4 v be reversely placed as construction being oththe operating lever-,as 5, may be pivoted at which moves move or guide in a meme dash-board, so that, by member 33 around in tubular membe ll may be more the headlights latcrallvand 1 330 forwardly or back ac n ver on i s pivot 31 the HlHlO member 5 i owned fi' illiil the tubula member ll w vertical ail nstmcnt oi the head-- l directing means for a ve- MUiiPI'lSlIIQ' a universal hear- :f; ior the headlight, a, rotatably I i tubular member, a lever tubular member to turn sv i'se n'io cineni: of the a torn lhcrooii in movement of piano parallel to the axis of and a momi'ier extendin said tubular rnenr eadligl'it and to d vertically inc parallel or, and said he hea in trio 7 oezng: adapted hcrizaontallv in transverse move- (ifmllililfiilOll of two 'vchicle heada1 hearingsnpports therefor, riding crosswise of the vehicle connecled to said hearing supi 2. movements, a. mounted to rock on its war hinged on said taboh therewith hntto turn u' lona itir- ,nhei', a sliding l 7 within therein, op e in te d '1 aplane Kit,

iiiriii to turn the the headlights to operate the headlights horizontally in rocking movement of said tubular member and to operate the headlights vertically in the longitudinal sliding movement of said sliding member.

3. Universal bearing supports for the headlights, a'bar pivotall; connected thereto to operate the same in unison, a rockingly mounted tubular member connected to said .bar to turn the headlights horizontally, a

lever pivotally mounted on said rocking member to move at right angles to the plane of rotation of said rocking member, a flexible member connected to said lever and extending Within said rocking member and connected to the headlight to turn the same vertically on movement of said lever on said rocking member, said. lever. being connected to the rocking mei'nber to rock the same on mcwement of the lever in the plane of rotation of the rocking member.

l. Universal. bearing supports for the headlights, a bar pivotally connected thereto to operate the same in unison, a rocking; member formed as a rigid tube, means connecting said rocking member to the said bar to swing the headlights horizontally on rocking movement of said rocking member, a flexible member sliding longitudinally Within said rocking member and connected to the headlight to operate the same vertically on longitudinal movement of said flexible member, and a lever mounted on said rockingmember to reel: said rocking member in one direction of movement of said lever, said lever being connected to the flexible member to operate the same longitudinally in an other direction. movement of said lever.

5. A universal directing means for vehicle headlights, comprising a universal bearing support for the headlight, a rocking tubular member having a tubular arm, a flexible member connected to operate said headlightand ext-ending through the tubular arm and through. the tubular rocking member, and a lever pivotally mounted on said rocking member and adapted to rotate the rocking member by movement of the said lever in one direction and connected to operate said flexible ieinher by pivotal movement of said le on s d rocl'fing member.

men whereof I have hereunto set d, at Los Angeles, California, this h day of April, 1916. r I

ROWLAND LYTTLE. 

